


A century old quest

by KaihiroKu



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Dark Past, F/M, Fluff and Smut, mature relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2020-08-10 13:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20136172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaihiroKu/pseuds/KaihiroKu
Summary: Gildarts encounters a certain dragon during his century quest, he gets wounded pretty badly but thanksfully a talented mage well versed in healing magic saves his life. Could it be fate?





	1. The vagrant

An explosion in the distance, a blast of magic... What could it be? The forest is silent as I walk, all animals have long since fled from whatever battle is raging. Is it the dark guild causing trouble again? I can feel an incredible magical presence as well as something threatening, something a lot... darker. Of course curiosity gets the best of me, I can't help but get closer to the place, following the noises. I carefully walk through the forest until I come across a clearing. And there I see it: a dragon. A huge beast standing pridefully on its four powerful limbs, its scales as black as the void. This is not just any dragon... this is Acnologia. I know that because I've studied a lot about dragons, I have a fascination for them since I'm a child. I eventually stumbled upon writings on Zereph and this monster. This dragon is nothing beautiful, it's a corrumpted version of those magnificient creatures who are the very representation of freedom and raw power. Chaos in all its beauty, neither good neither bad. This dragon however, is a different story. It is still very impressive to see and I find myself unable to move at the sight. It's not just its impressive body but rather the dark energy that surrounds it, sending shivers down my spine.

Thanksully the dragon does not notice me right away which gives me some time to snap out of it. Indeed his attention is focused elsewhere, there is a mage facing him! All I can see from this distance is that the mage is laying on the ground, blood splattered all around him. He is alive I can feel it! I was about to cast a barrier on him to protect him from the dragon but for some reason his opponent completely desinterested himself from the mage. The battle is over, the dragon won and now it is utterly uninterested. Just like a human who doesn't bother to check if the ant he just stepped on is still breathing... The dragon roars, a terrible sound that makes me cover my ears, before taking off in one powerful flap of its wings. I watch the dragon fly away until I can no longer see it, then I run to the unconscious man. He is wearing a long black hole ridden cape and a worn out armor with missing pieces. He is not looking good at all, his face is pale from the blood loss making his red hair stand out. His wounds are worse than I expected, what's most worrying is that he is missing his left leg and arm. The blood is pouring from those wounds, as well as a gruesome black liquid.

_Poison? Magic?_ _Something else entirely?_ I don't have the time to ask myself questions, whatever it is, it needs to be out of his blood system but for now I must stop the hemorrhage. One thing is sure, he is damn lucky that I'm the one who found him. There's no one in this kingdom more versed in healing magic than me. I manage to take all the black gooze out of his leg but it takes some time and he's running out of it. I make the decision not to do the same with his arm, it may have consequences later on his health but right now stopping the bleeding is more important. I heal the surface of his leg and arm to seal the flesh and prevent the blood from seeping. It won't do him good in the long run but I don't have time to do anything elaborated. I also apply some healing bandages on his torso where there's a nasty claw slash. Now it's time to move him, this place is not safe, the dragon could return anytime and we're defenseless here. I need to take him to my home where I'll be able to give him full care, as well as a bed to rest. However, this big guy is a bit too much for me I can't carry him. Thanksfully I am a well-equipped healer! I never go anywhere without my bag filled with bandages and herbs but it's not all there is in here. I dig in my bag and take out a folded stretcher, normally a thing that size wouldn't fit in a bag but this is not just any bag. After all, my friend Nikko made it for me and she's the best engineer mage I know.

She's good with her hands and her magic, she creates stuff with all kinds of materials and then she adds magic to it. Usually she makes weapons and stuff but she couldn't refuse a request from her childhood friend, especially one so simple. The inside of this bag is actually the size of asuitcase. Of course this is no ordinary stretcher as well, it's imbued with magic so that it floats on its own. I can also give it orders: it can fly faster or to a given destination on its own. This is a creation of mine ( I mean I made the plans and Nikko created it.) and by far one of the most useful... I put my hands under the man's arms and manage somehow to drag him on the stretcher without hurting my back in the process. This guy is too heavy, he is a brick of pure muscle... Mages rarely have bodies like that, usually relying so much on their magic that they neglect their own bodies. I run home as fast as I can, its best not to lose any time and I don't like the fact that this poison is still in his system.

I live in a small house in the forest not too far from a small town, I run a clinic there but I didn't want to bring the mage in town. I don't know anything about him, for all I know he could be a part of the local dark guild that's been wreaking havoc for years now. I decided to save his life therefore he is my responsibility, I can't involve the town's folks. They have enough to worry about as it is... I lay the man on my bed as gently as I can, though it doesn't look like he has any broken bones, just a few missing ones... It's time to take care of this poison.

_Time skip (6 hours later)_

I am exhausted, I spent a lot of time patching him up, this guy has so many bandages on he looks like a mummy now. I got the entirety of the poison out of his body but it did something strange to his left arm. It seems to be completely immune to magic now, as if nullifying its effect. I tried to cast spells on it but nothing worked. This is troublesome, I have a very handy spell that can regenerate lost tissues that I combined with a renewal and recover spell and.... Right, it's a bit long to explain. The effect is that basically it allows a lost limb to grow back. It worked just fine on his leg, which is currently growing back (yes, like a plant.) but it didn't take root on his arm. Perhaps if I had taken care of the poison earlier... it's no use thinking about that now, he would have died should I have done things any differently. The spell (which I call 'Stimulate') is a benediction kind of spell. It's the opposite of a curse, it takes root in the person's body and stimulate the body's natural healing abilities as well as the bearer's magic. The problem is: it is a tiring and painfull healing process for the patient, I mean his limb is growing back that's not nothing! It's good that he is unconscious or he would be screaming bloody murder. Also it has a drawback for the caster: I cannot use magic at all for the whole duration of the benediction. So as long as his leg is growing back I am just a normal woman with no special abilities. I transfused him with some of my blood too but he'll need more than that, he lost quite a lot after all. I need to go to the clinic to fetch a few bags but I'm feeling uneasy about leaving him alone. He is a force of nature I can see that, most people wouldn't survive these injuries. What if he wakes up while I'm gone? I wouldn't be all that surprised. I decide to cast a numbing/paralyzing spell on his body while I can still use my magic, so he won't feel any pain should he wake up and also to make sure he won't do something stupid like leaving with barely healed wounds while I'm gone. I know how men can be... I just hope he won't panick, it can be a bit disturbing not to be able to feel or move your body.


	2. Nice to meet you.

**Two days later.** _Guildarts has been asleep the whole time while Lux took care of him and helped his body recover. She managed to save his internal organs that were damaged and now he was finally stabilized, his life was no longer on the line, however there was no telling how long he would remain in a coma. A normal person would be dead, a strong person would wake up in months but Guildarts was more than that..._

Gildarts pov

There's a pleasant red berry smell, that's the first thing I notice as I slowly regain consciousness. After what happened I was not expecting to ever open my eyes again and yet here I am, alive and breathing. My body should hurt like hell, I know I have several severe injuries but I don't feel any pain. Actually I don't feel _anything_, am I paralyzed? Is this permanent? All I can do is move my neck from left to right and so I take in my surroundings. I'm in a well-kept wooden cabin, there is a table with all sorts of concoction and poultices on it, as well as bloody tools and bandages all over the place. Whoever lives here clearly saved my life.

“Hello? Is someone here?” I call out with a hoarse voice, damn I'd kill for a glass of water. I get no answer and sigh, I never was a patient guy and I hate to be stuck in a bed unless it's with a pretty girl. I really hope this is not permanent or I might go crazy very fast. Besides, how can I face the guild if I return a cripple from a failed century quest? My cool-o-meter will go down drastically. Just then I hear footsteps from outside and the door opens to reveal a fairly young looking woman, I would say around her mid-twenties. She has plastic bags in her hand that she hurriedly puts on what seems to be her desk, she walks around and do her own stuff without noticing I'm awake. I smirk and cough to grab her attention, I apparently nearly killed my guardian angel with a heart attack.

“Oh my fucking-- You're awake?!” She asks bewildered, I must look very bad for her to react that way. Then again I was stepped on and half chewed by a dragon... I try to answer her but my throat is so dry my voice fails me and I end up making a pathetic whisper.

She smiles knowingly, “Hang on, I'll get you some water.” She says before disappearing in what is most likely the kitchen and reappearing with a glass and a straw. She holds the glass close to my mouth so that I can use the straw. In other circumstances I would have complained about the straw and say I'm no kid but my throat hurts too much for that, besides it's not like I can move my arms. Now that she is closer I take a good look at her features, she has long light curly blond hair tied up in a messy bun, purple eyes (or you can imagine her however you want.) and a bright smile on her face. She is not half bad, I imagine that without all the sweat and blood currently covering her she must be quite a sight to see.

“I'm Luxanna and you?” She introduces herself with a gentle smile and I let go of the straw to answer her.

“Gildarts.” I tell her with the voice of a man who smoke a whole pack of cigarettes. Well, at least I have a voice now. Just as I was about to drink the rest of the water, she takes the glass away and turns around before putting it on her desk.

“Hey, I wasn't finished with that!” I tell her thinking she might not have realized I still wanted some.

“You will have more, once you've answered my questions.” There is no trace of the previous sweet tone and her face is serious. Even the magic that had been gently swirling around her until now has stilled. The calm before the storm... She looks surprisingly threatening, as she intended I suppose._ Does she thinks me responsible for something?_

“Come on, you're a doctor aren't you? I almost died, you can't leave me dehydrated.” I tell her, hoping to get a stir of sympathy.

“Indeed, you almost died. The only reason why we are having this conversation is because I saved you. Do you understand? Your life is still currently in my hands.” She explains with a cold voice. _Okay she definetly thinks I did something bad..._ “Besides, seeing how you survived these injuries I'm sure you'll handle dehydration just fine.” She says with both a sweet and scary smile.

I sigh, “Fine, I'll answer your questions She-Devil.” I tell her, it's not like I have anything to hide she could have just asked nicely. _What the hell is wrong with her? Why are the beautiful ones always the craziest...?_

“Are you a mage from the dark guild?” She asks with a deadly glare. I thought she was a sweet girl, but in this instant I have no doubt she would kill me if I were to answer yes. And I totally understand, I heard of the local dark guild. I honestly thought it was because of them that this quest was a century old, until I met a certain dragon.

“No, I'm from Fairy-tail. I have the symbol on my chest, if you want to take a look.” I flirt jokingly with a wink.

“I've seen a lot more than your chest, just so you know.” She jokes back as she walks closer to me again. My eyes go wide slightly, right of course she has. I have bandages on almost every parts of my body that I can see. She reaches for the bandage on my chest and slightly pulls on it to uncover my guild tatoo. I can't quite see what she's doing without hurting my neck but she seems to be rubbing the skin there as if cleaning it.

“It was hidden by all the blood...” She mumbles. “I believe you and I'm so very sorry for treating you like that!” She apoligizes and turns back to the nice doctor I first met. She quickly reaches for the glass on her desk and holds it out to me.

I sigh,“I won't blame you, I heard rumors of _Satyr hooves_ on my way here and none of them good.” I tell her. Besides with my vagrant look I don't exactly look like the most trustworthy guy. So she is compassionate but not naive, she wouldn't save the life of a complete stranger without knowing for sure who he is and if his survival won't mean more deaths. I drink the rest of the water, the straw forcing me to drink it more slowly than I usually would and I thank her. She goes back to her lab table and starts doing things I can't see even if I desperately try to look, making my neck crack loudly.

“Are you trying to hurt yourself even more?” She asks without turning around, she's half joking and half scolding me while shaking her head. I laugh sheepishly, I never was a good patient when sick.

“So... what are the damages exactly? I can't really see but I guess I'm a cripple now?” I ask, resigned.

“What makes you think that?” She asks and I frown.

“Well, I'm paralyzed?” I remind her.

“Oh that! I completely forgot to tell you I'm sorry!” She turns around with a horrified expression on her face. “It's a numbing spell I casted on you, don't worry it will all go back to normal once I remove it!” She explains and I sigh in relief. “However...” She pauses and stops doing whatever she was working on, her voice is lower and more serious. I know she's about to announce me the true extent of my wounds so I focus on her ready to take it in.


	3. Miracle workers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lux gives Guildarts a summary of his wounds, one bad news and two good news.

** _Luxanna_ **

“You lost your left leg and arm.” I tell him and he tries to take a look at his arm but I covered it with a cloth earlier. Still he can probably see the shape of his arm underneath and it stops around the elbow, then the cloth is flat. He must remember the dragon biting it off anyways.

“I see...”He sighs with a serious expression.

I need to lift his mood, “Cheer up! You are a lucky man because I found a way to heal these types of wounds just a few months ago!” I tell him cheerfully and he looks at me puzzled. Heal lost limbs? Even magic has limits. Or that's what he must be thinking but magic has the same limits as the mind: imagination and creativity are its roots. Nothing is impossible in the end.

“I won't go into the complicated details but basically I casted a benediction on your leg and it's currently growing back!” I explain sparing him the details of how and why.

“It's... growing back, like a plant?” He asks confused.

“Kind of, you currently have a leg the size of a baby's.” I tell him and his eyes go wide, I can see he is trying to move to see his leg but it's also covered with a cloth.

“I have to see this!” He says as he desperatly tries to wiggle but the sp ell won't let him.

“Some things are best left unseen, trust me.” Seeing your leg grow back the size of an infant is not exactly a vision you can forget.  
“Anyway, you'll be able to walk perfectly fine in a few weeks.”

“A few weeks?!” He shouts clearly not happy about it. “And why exactly did you put a numbing spell on me?” He asks.

“Your tissues, veins and bones are growing back, are you sure you want to feel that?” I ask him and he remains silent. I need to make a blood transfusion, his wounds bled a lot yesterday and he is slightly anemic.  
I finally turn around with a needle and hang a blood bag next to the bed before preparing a cotton. I take his only remaining arm and rub the cotton on his wrist where I will use the needle, I can see Gildarts' face is not very relaxed.

“Not a fan of needles?” I ask him with a teasing smirk.

“I'd rather avoid them...” He admits.

“Well, you need a blood transfusion. Unless you wanna pass out again?” I ask him a rethorical question and he sighs in resign.  
“You won't feel anything, I casted a numbing spell on your body, remember?”

“It's not the pain that bothers me...” He mumbles while looking away from his arm as I prick the skin. For such a big guy he sure is a big baby.  
During the transfusion I decide to tell him about his arm, he deserves to know.

I sigh, “About your left arm... Something weird happened to it.” His attention focuses back on me, however he still avoids looking at his wrist. What kind of person is scared of needles and not of dragons?!  
“That dragon's fangs had some kind of dark magic or poison. It altered the tissues of your arm and well, my magic doesn't work on it.” I explain him and he seems to understand where I'm going.

“You can't make it grow back like my leg?” He asks though he looks like he already knows the answer.

“Yeah I'm sorry, I had to make a decision and it costed you your arm.” I apologize to him however he doesn't seem to look at it the same way I do.

“Don't apologize, you saved my life without even knowing who I was and you're even making my leg grow back... You're a miracle worker!” He exclaims to my surprise and I look at my feet still feeling like I had made a mistake.

“I'll just find a cool prothetic for my arm, don't sweat it.” He tells me and it suddenly gives me an idea. Why didn't I think about that earlier?! I can ask Nikko to make him a prothetic! Surely she can do better than all these so called engineers.

“You know what? I think I know exactly who to ask for that.” I tell him with a confident smile.

“Eh? For a prothetic?” He asks bewildered. I make a mental note to contact her later, prothetics are not easy to make especially not one for a mage. It needs to be compatible with his magic and magic type. If it's fire he uses for example she can't make it out of something that might melt.

“I'll contact a friend of mine and see with her.” I tell him.

“You know someone who makes prothetics for mages?” He asks in awe and I nod.

“She's a engineer mage. If you think I'm a miracle worker, wait 'till you meet Nikko!” I exclaim proudly, she's like a sister to me and I admire her work.  
“Anyway, you should get some sleep you'll recover faster that way.” I tell him to try to convince him, for some reason something tells me he is the kind of patient to be a pain in the ass. However he must really be tired because he complies with a grunt before dozing off.  
The Fairy-tail guild, huh? I should do some research about it once I have a minute for myself. But first I have a lot of things to prepare for my newly awakened patient. I clean my table and throw all the bloody bandages in the trash before making some poultices.  
I also need to go to the clinic to see if they need any help, hopefully the dark guild didn't attack anyone today.  
I go there and check on a few patients that have been here for a few days but I'm told to go home by most of them and take some time for myself. Apprently they think I overwork myself, that may be true. Even so I can't just stop, it's what I decided to do with my life. I have this magic I must make the most out of it. But right now I can't use it because of the benediction so I might as well take some rest. It's true I could use a nap, taking care of that big guy completely drained me.  
I go home and check on the mage lying in my bed, his breathing is steady. I go to the kitchen to make some porridge for when Guildarts is awake, he will likely be starving. Then I crash on the armchair next to the bed and fall asleep like a rock.

_ **Guildarts** _

The red berry smell again, it's so pleasant and soothing. However what wakes me up this time is a loud snoring sound. I open my sticky eyes with difficulty and take a look around, the place is almost completely plunged into darkness, except for a candle on the bedside table.  
Behind the faint light I can see the sleepy face of my caretaker who is sleeping soundly and loudly. Her mouth is wide open while she snores like a drunken sailor. It makes me chuckle, then again I guess she must be very tired and I just realize that I may be accupying the only bed available.  
I don't like being bedridden and I don't like being a burden even less, if only I wasn't paralyzed I would have left the place discreetly. She's taking all her time and energy on me and she doesn't even rest in a proper bed.  
Guildarts ends up falling back asleep, inspite everything he thinks his body is far from recovery.


	4. Prothetic Prototype

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikko finally meets Gildarts !

_ **Luxanna ** _

I wake up at the crack of dawn, I can never sleep once the sun is shining. It's not the light that bothers me but the feeling that I'm missing out on something if I oversleep. I stand up and realize I'm still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, I was so tired last night I didn't change. I pick up some clothes and go to the kitchen to change just in case Gildarts wakes up while I'm in the middle of it. I start warming up the porridge thinking he might wake up soon however I hear grunts and pained moans coming from the bedroom. I run there scared the benediction might be too much for his still recovering body but it doesn't look like it's what's happening. Is he having a nightmare? I gently shake him awake,

“Gildarts? Gildarts!! Wake up!” He finally snaps his eyes opened with a gasp, his is sweating and panting but he looks alright. “Its okay, it was just a dream.” I reassure him while I rub a wet cloth on his forehead to cool him down.

“Ah damn... How embarassing.” He says with self-deprecation.

“What were you dreaming about, if I may ask?” I question with curiosity.

“Just silly stuff.” He says clearly not wanting to go into the details. Well it isn't hard to guess, he almost got eaten by a dragon so the nightmare was probably related to that.

“I see, are you hungry? I made some porridge.” I tell him and his expression immediately brightens as if I just offered him a buffet.

“Yeah I'd love that!” Well, he must really be starving then. I fetch him a bowl in the kitchen and come back with it and a spoon. Gildarts seems to finally realize I am going to have to feed him myself.

“Wait a minute, I'm not a child.” He protests, ah men and their egos.

“No but you are missing an arm and you can't move anyway.” I remind him and he asks me to remove the spell to which I answer no, obviously.

“Ah well, I suppose there are worse things than being fed by a beautiful young lady.” He says in a flirtatious manner and I almost choke on my saliva. Now I'm the one who really doesn't wanna do this anymore. Why does he have to make it embarassing for me too?! At least he called me young... it's true I look younger than my age but it always makes me feel good to hear it. A side effect of having magic with natural healing properties.

I clear my throat and take a spoon, “Say 'ahhh'.” I tease him by treating him like a kid as I get the spoon closer to his mouth and he rolls his eyes.

“Oh come on! Make it sexi—errhhg!” I immediately shove the spoon in his mouth before he can finish that sentence, it's already a pain to have to feed him I don't need sexual harassment on top of it. His eyes go wide as he chokes on the porridge for a few seconds.

“What the-- Do you often try to kill your patients?!” He asks as he coughs.

“Only when they lack manners.” I warn him and offer him a second spoon. This time he doesn't say anything and quickly takes it.

“Sheesh, I was only joking!” He says attempting to make amends. I finish to give him the rest, thankfully he is fast at eating. However he asks for seconds but I refuse.

“Some of your internal organs were damaged, it's best if you eat in small quantities for now.” I explain him, this guy should be in a coma seriously he should be happy he gets to eat at all! He sighs heavily but doesn't argue. I need to take care of a few things outside but I can't just leave him here alone... Oh, I know!

“This is a magical communication crystal.” I tell him as I put the stone on the mattress next to his head. “I need to go outside for a bit but if you need me for anything just say my name and the crystal will activate.” I explain him with a wink and he nods. I show him I have a similar crystal around my neck and by calling my name it will activate mine.

“Hmm, that's handy.” He whispers to himself as he cracks his neck in an awkward position just to look at the stone next to him. This guy really is restless... I hope he doesn't somehow hurt himself while I'm gone. I know he can't move but I shouldn't underestimate him... I go to the door ready to leave but I can't help but tease him.

“Just in case, my name is Luxanna.” I remind him, still treating him like a child or at least some irresponsible person.

“Who do you take me for? I never forget a pretty lady's name.” He answers with a seductive wink and I roll my eyes. This guy just never stops... “Hey, wait up! When will you remove the paralyzing spell?” He asks me stopping me before I step outside. I explain him that it depends on how fast his leg grows back, it could take a few more days or weeks.

“Also, until I trust you enough.” I add and leave the house. I don't think he is dangerous but I'm pretty sure he'll try to leave while he is still half healed and I can't let that happen, I won't let all my efforts go to waste. I immediately go to Nikko's house to ask her about the prothetic.

_ **At Nikko's ** _

“So, you saved a handsome stranger and put him in your bed? Way to go, sis'!” Nikko shouts enthusiastically, clearly misunderstanding what I just told her.

“No, no the dude is in no shape for what you have in mind! He is missing an arm and a leg, though that one is growing back as we speak.” I try to explain her.

“Ooooh you used that spell on him?! Oh please Lux let me see it once we get there!” She asks me to show her his leg with excited eyes. Nikko has a tendancy to be curious about everything even things most people wouldn't even want to think about.

“Uh fine, fine.” I agree with her and just as we're about to leave my communication crystal buzzes around my neck.

“L-Lux? Luxanna? Damn, is it working?” Gildarts voice comes out of the crystal and I immediately enter panick mode.

“I can hear you, are you okay?!” I nearly shout. Did he hurt himself? Did someone try to come inside the house? It couldn't be the dark guild, right?!

“Luxanna... I'm boooooored.” Gildarts says whining like a twelve year old kid that got grounded. “When are you coming baack?”

“You... I told you it was for emergencies, didn't I?” I sigh.

“This is an emergency! I miss you~” He says longingly and I can see Nikko is trying her best hold back a chuckle. I roll my eyes, I worried for nothing I guess. We both go to my house, when we enter Gildarts is still awake and he looks bored to death.

“Oh wow, he's as big as you said!” Nikko exclaims and I facepalm internally. You can just leave it to Nikko to make things awkward... I said he was tall and rather broad, not 'big'. Gildarts doesn't look bothered though as if he is used to people reacting that way.

“Right, Gildarts this is the engineer mage I told you about: Nikko.” I introduce her but she's already doing her own thing.

“Hey! Don't peak!” Gildarts shouts as Nikko lifts the blanket that covers his legs without warning.

“Oh my god! It's so tiny, haha!” She laughs.

“That's not what the ladies usually says.” Gildarts jokes but he sounds kind of hurt and I can't help but laugh. Nikko is of course talking about his tiny leg and not his manhood.

“It's not his leg you're supposed to look at but his arm, Nikko.” I remind her. She complies happy to have seen what she was so curious to see. She examines the mage's arm seriously and then takes a look at the other arm to see what it used to look like before it was ripped off. After a few seconds her face lights up.

“I should have enough material to make him one but I need to know what kind of magic you use?” She asks him and Guildarts seems confused.

“Wait, you can make a prothetic that will allow me to use my magic?” He questions a bit surprised. “I don't have the money for that.” He says shaking his head.

“It's free you big bear!” Nikko tells him as if he is being silly.

“Free? No, no I can't accept that. It's too much work for—” He tries to refuse but I cut him off.

“It's what Nikko does, Gildarts. She makes incredible prothetics and other stuff and she sells them a good price to rich people who need it. With the money she earns she doesn't have to make those who can't afford it pay.” I explain him and it seems to make him think hard on it.

He sighs, “No, I can't bother you more than I already have.” He insists.

“It's up to Nikko, not me or you.” I tell him and he sighs.

“Fine but I'll repay you one way or another, I'll owe you one.” He says with a face that shows he won't take no for an answer. It's the first time I see him serious about anything.

“Okay okay, but depending on your magic type I might not be able to! So don't get emotional yet and tell me.” Nikko asks impatiently.

“I use caster type magic.” He says but doesn't go into details.

“What does it do?” I ask him getting impatient myself.

“It destroys everything I come in contact with, including magic spells.” He explains casually as if it wasn't something important to mention. He basically destroys everything with a simple touch, how can we be sure the prothetic won't end up the same? I glance anxiously at Nikko, can she make something that won't break? But she's smiling.

“Hmm, I can make something resistant enough to not be destroyed by sudden bursts of magic, I have something in mind.” She exclaims happily.

“Can it resist close combat and a punch impacts?” Gildarts asks and I look at him with a raised eyebrow. Of course with a body like his it would make sense if he knew some kind of martial art.

“Yes, yes it's a combat prototype I made for mages long ago. It won't break easily!” She says with a bright smile but I can't help but worry about her. She leaves the house with what seems to be a happy face but I know her too well.

I follow her outside, “Nikko!... Is that really okay? I mean that prototype...” I start but she cuts me off.

“It's fine, Lux. It's not a weapon, well it was but I'll make adjustments, don't worry.” She says with a wink and I smile at her, I guess I was worried for nothing then. Long ago Nikko made a promise, she swore she would never make weapons with her engineer skills ever again. I was afraid she would break that promise for me, which I don't want her to. I'm surprised she kept some of the prototypes she made though...


	5. Contract magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic has a price, at least it's the case for Lux's magic type. One thing in exchange for another...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the extremely slow updates!

Only a day has gone by and Gildarts is healing at an impressive speed, I would like to say it's all thanks to my skills as a healer but I have to admit he has quite the constitution. However the damage to his internal organs are what incapacitate him the most and I start to worry some of them may never fully recover.

“I'm sorry, if only I could use my magic this would be taken care of in a matter of minutes.” I tell him absentmindedly. I gasp and put my hands over my mouth realizing what I just said. _Dammit!_ I never told him about the benediction's side effect and never intended to.

“What do you mean if you could use magic?” He asks confused. I bite my lip, I can't think of any excuse, I have to explain him now.

“Remember that benediction?” I ask him pointing at his left leg and he nods. “It's a very special kind of magic, lost magic.” I tell him and his eyes go wide for a second. “There's caster and holder types of magic, casters are like you. Magic comes directly from their bodies, holders need an object to activate it like spirit mages who need keys to summon spirits.” I explain him and he quickly nods again, of course he knows all of this. “This benediction is a contract type of magic, you sacrifice one thing to get another. My magic is suspended for the duration of your healing process.” I tell him.

Gildarts grows silent but his eyebrows are more creased than ever before. “You mean to tell me you have been going outside to fetch ingredients these past few days while being defenseless? There is a dark guild close to the town!!” He finally yells as if I had no idea.

“Thank you I'm aware!” I answer back.

“Are you? Have you at least taken something to defend yourself with should you bump into one of their mages?” He asks me, his demeanor is calm but his voice shows a growing irritation.

“I took...measures. Besides I know how to avoid them, there are areas where they don't go.” I try to defend myself but I know he is right. I was careless and that could have led to my death or worse but I won't admit it. _Damn pride..._

“Measures? You could just ask someone else to bring you ingredients!” He exclaims as if that wasn't obvious but I don't like relying on others.

“And ask someone else to take the risk for me? No way.” I mumble like a stubborn child. _He is right goddammit!_ I'm just too mad at myself right now to admit it to his face. I was so focused on getting him back on his feet I neglected myself, as always.

“Just put yourself in my shoes for a minute, you saved my life. You are taking care of me, you are healing my leg, you ask your friend to make me a free prothetic... and I can't do anything to pay any of you back! Now I learn you have sacrificed your magic -even if just temporarely- for my sake... If something had happened to you... it would have been my fault. I'm not worth the efforts you make and I'm certainly not worth the risks you take.” He says, his voice is so confident as he says the last sentence as if he really is convinced his life is not worth much. I don't know who he is or what he may have done in the past to make him hate himself but it doesn't matter to me. I hate it when people say that their life are worth less than something or someone else's.

“Every life is worth it.” I tell him as I look directly into his eyes. I think I should explain myself further even though I don't like reminiscing the past. I sigh and look away from him, “When I was younger, there was a dark guild near our village, not Satyr Hooves another one. They only ever attacked mages and many of them got severe injuries but the worse thing was having to see them living that way. Like broken dolls... I remember I used to tell my father that later I would be the first healer to make limbs grow back. He would laugh and pat my head saying 'I'm sure you will!'. But the reality of things is magic has either consequences or prices. And compared to the reward, I think this price is low.” I explain him. _What if I can't use magic for a few weeks?_ _If he gets to have a leg back for the rest of his life it's worth it, no?_

“I understand where you're coming from. But what bothers me is that you are in danger because of me, so at least stop taking risks or I'll get grey hair before my age!” He says jokingly but I can tell he truly worries which touches me.

I immediately answer him to hide how destabilized I am. “Hm? Aren't you at an age where you should start to have grey hair though?” I joke back. He picks up on it and makes a fake outraged expression.

“Now, now you should respect your elders!” He says and I restrain myself from telling him we're closer in age than he thinks. Just then Nikko knocks on the door and I let her in, I expected her to come today to take the measurements of Gildarts arm so she can get started on the prothetic. I greet her as she comes in and excuse myself to the kitchen to prepare the food for lunch, leaving the two of them alone.

**Gildarts **

Lux goes to the kitchen and I'm left alone with Nikko, a strange but nice woman. She gets closer to the bed in which I have been laying for almost a week now and speaks to me in a low voice.

“I heard your little argument from outside.” She says a bit apologetically, she didn't mean to eavesdrop. “You know Lux can get carried away when it comes to save people, to the point she forgets herself...” She explains to me that when Lux takes care of patients she sometimes forget to eat for days, or get proper sleep. She also takes unconsidered risks for others that she wouldn't for herself because she is solely focused on saving their lives. Nikko is trying to defend her friend but she doesn't like how Lux does things either and she's always nearby reminding her to at least eat and take some rest...

“Anyways she's a workaholic, can't change her!” Nikko says with a wink as she takes the measures of my bicep. “You sure are well built...” She mumbles and I try not to smile at her comment. Lux comes back in the living room after some time, just as Nikko is about done with her measurements. She's putting all her stuff back in her backpack and is about to leave when Lux calls out to her somewhat timidly.

She clears her throat, “Are you going to the town's center?” She asks while fidgeting. Nikko raises a brow, “You know that's where I live.” She answers, clearly she picked up on her friend's strange behaviour. “Yeah hm, could you uh buy a few things for me... at the market?” She asks averting her gaze as she hands over a list to her friend.

Nikko grins knowingly, “Oh? You're not going to find those in the forest as usual?” She questions while giving me a sideglance. Is Lux asking her friend's help because of what I said earlier during our argument?

“Uh, I'm sorry to bother you with that... It's just I, well I don't..” Lux tries to explain herself, saying that some of the ingredients were hard to find and Nikko lets her fumbling for her words with an amused look on her face.

Eventually she ends Lux's torment, “It's fine, don't worry about it! I'll get you what you need, as long as you pay me back.” She says with a wink. It appears that Lux decided to ask for her friend's help instead of going in the woods by herself and I have to admit I am kinda surprised she took in consideration what I told her earlier, yet alone that she actually decided to listen given how stubborn she had been.

“Of course I'll pay you back, with one of my best potion for back pain.” Lux says which makes Nikko beam.

“Is it bad it makes me this happy? I guess I'm an old hag now.” Nikko says with her usual playfulness. She may not be as young as Lux but she definetly kept her mind young. Nikko must barely be a few years younger than me, _if she's an old hag... What does that make me?_

“I wish I could be as healthy as you!” She adds but she doesn't sound jealous, just a bit envious. Eventually Nikko leaves and it's just me and Lux. An awkward silence settles in, Lux seems to be avoidinglooking at me probably because she knows I knows exactly why she decided to ask for Nikko's help and it makes her embarassed. I decide not to bring it up...

“So uh, you and Nikko have known each other for long?” I ask her and I can see the relief in her eyes.

“Yeah, we're childhood friends.” She tells me. I find it strange since there are probably 15 years apart but maybe she means to say they used to hang out when she was a child?


	6. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three days go by and Gildarts' leg has nearly reached an adult size, Luxanna is starting to think it's about time to remove the paralyzing spell.

Nikko comes in the house and leaves a few bags of supply in the room, I immediately pay her back for the stuff she bought me because I hate having debts. She rolls her eyes at how serious I am with these things but doesn't comment as she leaves the house. We made it a habit now, every here and then Nikko brings me the stuff I need so I don't have to take risks by going outside. Neither of them has made any comments about it so far, so my guess is they are too happy I decided to listen to them to brag about it.

“I have good news for you Gildarts!” I say enthusiastically after taking a look at his leg, the bone has reached its adult size which mean it will no longer hurt. “I'll be able to remove the paralyzing spell.” I announce and his whole face lights up like a prisonner's who is finally set free. The leg still needs to age and gain in maturity to match the other one but soon I should be recovering my magic powers as well. I tell him so since he has been so worried about that.

“Good, good. I'll leave as soon as you get your powers back then.” He says but I shake my head and laugh.

“Haha, no you won't.” I tell him with confidence and he tilts his head.

“You're nice and all, but I have places I need to be. Look, if you fell for m--” he starts talking nonesense so I cut him off.

“Try to stand up.” I ask him with a smirk. Gildarts goes silent but complies, he manages to sit at the edge of the bed not without some effort. After some time without moving, it's no surprise.

He jumps out of the bed but as soon as he tries to stand on his legs they go wobbly like marshmallow and he falls. I didn't expect him to actually jump off the bed, most people would start slowly one leg after the other! I immediately run to him to grab his arm and try to balance him so he won't fall, however he really cannot stand on his legs at all, his weight is too much for me and we end up falling together. I use my elbows to alleviate my fall but it still hurts, though it could have been worse with Gildarts falling on me and crushing me. Thanksfully he got the reflex to use his remaining arm to keep himself from completely falling on my body, at least one part of his body is functionning correctly.

Gildarts looks worried as he glances at my face but I start giggling, “Well, looks like you're the one who fell for me...” I joke but for some reason Gildarts doesn't smile and just stares at my face, he is inches from me so it really starts to make me feel selfconscious and a bit awkward.

I clear my throat, “Can you move?” I ask him to bring him back to reality, I genuinely wonder if he can move or not considering what happened earlier.

“Ah, yeah... Sorry.” he says and rolls on the side to set me free. Weird, I thought he would take advantage of the situation to flirt but he seems somewhat uncomfortable. I sit and check my elbows, they are already healing so its all good, it's also a sign I'm slowly getting my magic back.

“So, as I said.” I start as I stand back up. “ You're stuck here for a little longer.” I smirk.

“Yeah, I can see that...” he says sheepishly while sprawled on the floor. “You should have let me fall, you could have hurt yourself.” He berates me but I'm not taking any of it.

“No, don't try to make me sound like the irresponsible one here. Who the hell jumps out of their bed after barely just getting a leg back?!” I tell him off.

“You told me to get up...” He tries to justify himself like a child and avoid eye contact.

“Yes,** slowly** one leg at a time while staying close to the bed so you can lean on it!” I explain him a bit less angry. This guy just never stops trying to hurt himself.

He nods, “My bad.” he says as he scratches the back of his head in embarassment.

I guess he was a bit too excited about it, understandably.

I sigh, “Ok I'll go fetch a crutch and help you get up.” I say as I go outside to a small shack I like to call my storehouse. I grab a wooden crutch from there and go back in the house before handing it to Gildarts who is still lying on his back on the floor. I'm wondering how I can help this giant back on his feet. Ok maybe I'm exagerating a little, but he is really tall !

I give him the crutch and help him get back on his feet, we succeed after a couple of minutes and he stands on his wobbly legs. I think maybe two or three days of exercises and he should be able to walk normally. Nikko should be done with his prothetic by then too and he will be able to go back to his guild.

The Fairy tail guild, I did some research on it. It wasn't hard to find info since they are pretty strong mages in the guild. Though they are more known for being chaotic and destructive during their missions than anything else. Looking at Gildarts I can't say I'm surprised... But just like him, it looks like a funny, protective guild. The kind I could have joined if my life had been different.

Gildarts sighs, " I guess it won't be as easy as I thought. "

" Don't sweat it, with my magic back you'll be able to walk in no time. " I reassure him, « Besides you can't leave until Nikko is done with your arm! » I remind him, from the look on his face he had clearly forgotten about it.

For three days we spend nearly all days together doing exercices for his legs, Gildarts insists on doing other exercices for his other muscles as well since he couldn't move at all for so long.

When the end of the day comes, I cast a regenerating spell on his body to help him recover faster and avoid sore muscles.

Gildarts is lying on the bed while I have my hands out straight above his body with my eyes closed to focus on my spell casting.

"You really have amazing skills. " Gildarts sighs as he feels the tension in his body go away like the other nights before.

"If you keep this up, I'll have to ask you to marry me... " He jokes around in his usual carefree way which makes me chuckle.

"As if you could handle me. " I joke back and he laughs, it had become somewhat our daily routine. I had to admit this big guy grew on me a little, I just might miss having him around once he leaves.

“Nikko should be done with the prothetic tomorrow, we can go to her place and see if it fits or not. " I tell him which seems to immediately peak his interest.

" It'll be nice to walk in the town for a change. " He says as he stretches on the bed, we have only been walking around in the forest so he has never seen the town. Truthfully there wasn't much to see, aside from destroyed buildings, improvised hospitals and shelters. Only the market is worth a look. Ever since Nikko and me arrived here 5 years ago, the town's people have been a lot more positive. The dark guild is not attacking as often as it used to as well, perhaps they got tired of their optimism. They were thrown in the dirt and given a beating, but they always stood back up to rebuild the things that were destroyed.

It was our way of fighting, this was the war we had been leading. They destroy, Nikko rebuilds.

They attack, I heal. It feels like it's a never ending battle to be honest, but I hope that someday mages will take our request and crush that dark guild for good. If only we knew where their HQ is I would take care of it myself.

Probably Nikko and I could... But no, we made a promise.

The next day Gildarts and I went to town to meet with Nikko.

" Ah Lux ! You're right on time. " Nikko exclaims as she notices us approaching what she likes to call her workshop.

" Hey Gildarts ! It's good to see you walking around like this. " She adds with a smile.

" It's good to finally be out of that bed. " Gildarts agrees with a small smile of his own.

" I still remember when Lux had just brought you here, you looked like a freaking mummy ! And now look at you, all your missing is an arm and you'll be as good as new ! " Nikko says joyfully.

" Speaking of arms... " She says before quickly going in and out of her shop with something covered in cloth in her hands. She puts it down on her workbench before theatracally removing the cloth.

" Tadaaa ! " She exclaims as she shows us the result of those past four days. The arm looks more like a gauntlet than an actual prothetic, but has a cool « knight » look to it that for some reason I'm sure Gildarts will appreciate.

"That's a... prothetic ? " He asks a bit surprised.

" Yes, because you said you needed something impact resistant I had to use a very solid metal, this is carbon steel by the way. Since I couldn't make it look like an actual arm anyway, I thought I might as well make it look cool ! " Nikko explains us in a serious way she only has when speaking about her job.

Gildarts takes a closer look at the prothetic before brushing his fingers on it.

" Don't be shy ! This beauty is all yours, come on take it and try it on ! " Nikko urges him with impatience. Gildarts nods and takes the gauntlet in his hand before placing it on his stump. The prothetic seems to immediately react to the touch and comes to life.

Gildarts makes a priceless face of surprise as the arm moves around a bit, wiggling its fingers on its own accord, making sure everything works fine before going limp again. He looks at Nikko, unsure of what to do next.

" Great ! Let's do a few exercices to see if your psychomotor reactions are correct. " Nikko explains in her usual professional way. For a few minutes she makes Gildarts do all sorts of exercices with his arm, hand and fingers to make sure that everything works fine. It seems to be a bit hard for him to get acquainted with it, after all he can't feel anything to the touch with that thing.

" It will come with time, just like how you learnt to walk again. " Nikko assures him. " Now for the tricky part ! " She exclaims.

" The tricky part ? " Gildarts asks dumbfounded.

" Nikko needs to link your magic to the gauntlet to make it a part of you. " I remind him.

" If it fails you won't be able to use your magic with this arm, but you'll still be able to deliver some devastating punches, Nikko certified ! " She says as she mimicks delivering a right hook which makes Gildarts smile.

"Alright, give me both your hands. " She says in a more serious tone. I look at the two of them with anxiety, I really hope this works for Gildarts' sake. Nikko closes her eyes and focuses her magic, Gildarts magic reacts to it and glows a soft silver light on his whole body except the prothetic. As the light grows stonger and stronger it slowly seeps in the gauntlet, it's as though Nikko forcefully stretches Gildarts' aura. Suddenly the gauntlet shines a brighter light and Gildarts looks at it with a surprised face.

" I can feel it... " He whispers, bewildered. Nikko lets go of his hands and looks at the prothetic with a smile.

"Magic anchoring : successful! " She exclaims joyfully, clapping her hands in excitment.

" I can feel it! " Gildarts repeats louder, finally realizing what it meant. " It's incredible, I can't feel anything to the touch but I can feel my arm as if... " He struggles to find the exact words to express his thoughts.

"As if it belonged to you. " Nikko ends his sentence and he nods.

"Come on, let's test it !" I urge him to use his magic, we need to make sure it really works fine.

" Is there something I can destroy in this area ? " He asks, half destroyed buildings isn't what's missing here. I point at a brick wall a few meters from there, last standing piece of what used to be a tailor's shop.

Gildarts casually walks up to it and stretches his arm out with his palm facing the wall. He closes his eyes as to better focus on the feeling of his magic coursing through his body to his arm.

A flash of white light comes out of his palm destroying the wall into small pieces. What an interesting and devastating magic.

Gildarts looks down at his hand with his brows creased, he seems to be deep in thought.

" What do you think ? Is that what you intended to do ? " Nikko quickly inquires. Is there a problem with the strength ? Is it too weak ? Is it broken ?

" Nikko, Lux... " Gildarts says in a serious voice as he walks up to us. Suddenly he grabs us both in a bone crushing hug, " You girls are amazing ! " He says crushing us even tighter.

"Gildarts... We can't breathe." I whisper not able to even use my voice.

"Oh, sorry!" He apologizes and quickly lets go of us with an embarassed face. "I don't often say thanks but... I owe you ladies big time for this." He says waving his prothetic arm, " And for everything else. " He adds this time looking directly at me.

" My pleasure ! " I say in a cheerful voice, it must be my favorite part of my job as a healer. To see people who were broken back on their feet and smiling in such a grateful way. Now he can go back to being a mage in his guild and not a cripple. We gave him a second chance.


End file.
